The Girl He Chose
by Beckyhelene
Summary: PRJF Post Dance The Night Away. Fran's thoughts after Theo runs out to meet Lily.


Spoiler: Take's place right after 'Dance The Night Away'.

Summary: Fran's thoughts at the sight of Theo rushing out to meet Lily.

Disclaimer: Power Rangers is owned by Disney, "I'm Not That Girl" is owned by the folks of the musical Wicked. What do I own?...Apparently jack squat, haha.

AN: Two things—the line at the end can be taken in a platonic light or a romantic light, totally up to you. Also, I have somealternate endings that I might post if people are interested.

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RJ's arm slipped off of Fran's shoulder as the two's shared laugh died down.

"Well, since it looks like I'm down two employees, we definitely better get back to work," he said with a definite nod. Fran looked up at him and gave a nod to agree.

"So, Casey wasn't outside with Lily?" Fran asked a hopeful twinge in her voice. RJ looked back at her, studying her carefully as he tried to decipher what she meant before giving a small shrug. 

"No, he's upstairs," RJ replied. He raised an eyebrow, as if a light bulb had just gone off over his head. "I better go tell him to come down here and help out," he said. He gave Fran a pat on the shoulder as he strode to find his other remaining employee, not seeing Fran's crestfallen expression or hearing the sad sigh she heaved at knowing that Theo and Lily were alone together……a date, as much as Theo denied things being like that………instead of a spending time as the new friendship triad they had become with Casey.

"Yeah," she said softly before picking up some trays and cups people had left and their recently abandoned tables before taking them to the kitchen in the back to wash them.

_Hands touch, eyes meet  
Sudden silence, sudden heat  
Hearts leap in a giddy whirl  
He could be that boy  
But I'm not that girl._

Fran sighed as she put the items she'd picked up from the tables in the sink and turned on the water. She picked up the bottle of dish soap and squeezed some of the liquid into the filling sink, creating large suds in which to wash the cups, plates and trays in. She was about to submerged both hands into the suds when her eyes landed on the wrist that held her watch….the wrist Theo had frantically grabbed at in the middle of his pacing while wondering where Lily was. As much as she had joked about him and Lily having a date, behind her smile and teasing tone she was crushed and wished it was her that Theo was panicking over being five minutes late, not Lily. Though, Fran thought, she'd never make Theo wait. Her excitement and joy over the possibility of someone, especially Theo, wanting and waiting to spend time with her would make her show up early to meet him, thus ridding the need of waiting. 

Fran sighed as she remembered how her heart skipped a beat the second Theo grabbed her wrist to look at her watch, his fingers brushing her skin. She shook her head as she reminded herself that the grab of her wrist wasn't out of Theo needing to touch her like the male protagonists desperately clutching their loves in the romance novels she read as guilty pleasures in her room. "He was desperate all right," Fran muttered to herself, "desperate for Lily," she frowned before dunking her hands into the water filled sink and scrubbing at the items inside.

_Don't dream too far  
Don't lose sight of who you are  
Don't remember that rush of joy  
He could be that boy  
I'm not that girl_

As Fran scrubbed a plate she let her mind wonder to what she wished would've happened after RJ told Theo Lily was waiting for him outside. Had she had it her way Theo would've run back into the restaurant, explaining that the only reason he had rushed outside was that he wanted to run and tell Lily for a rain check for their lunch and run back inside to continue sitting and talking with her. Fran's face broke out into a dreamy smile as her mind went to him then taking her in her arms and giving her a soft, light as a feather kiss on her lips before asking if she'd have lunch with him. Fran sighed as a piece of cheese stuck on the plate she'd been absentmindedly scrubbing brushed her fingertip, bringing her mind back into reality and out of her daydream.

_Ev'ry so often we long to steal  
To the land of what-might-have-been  
But that doesn't soften the ache we feel  
When reality sets back in_

"It'll never happen," Fran whispered to herself, banishing her daydream for teasing her and giving her hope as sad tears filled her eyes. "What guy in his right mind would ever pick you over **her**?" She wondered out loud, her mind going to Lily. She was perfect, the absolute dream girl for any guy with her blonde hair and confident personality. There's no way Fran could ever even dream of competing with that. 

_Blithe smile, lithe limb  
She who's winsome, she wins him  
Gold hair with a gentle curl  
That's the girl he chose  
And Heaven knows  
I'm not that girl._

As Fran thought more about Lily, her jealousy made her almost despise Lily and all her perfection, but regrettably, part of Lily's perfection was her friendly and kind nature, which made it very difficult to carry any ill will towards her. Just like Lily had embraced Casey into her circle of friends, she'd done the same to Fran by occasionally reaching out to her and engaging her in the one thing she couldn't go to her closest friends for: good old fashion girl talk. As much as Fran did enjoy actually being able to say she had a friend, there were occasions when the times she and Lily would chat as they worked together to clean or make pizzas made her want to hide in a corner and cry—the times she'd talk about how long she and Theo had been close and when she'd secretly admit to occasionally wondering what it would be like to be more than friends with him. In those moments Fran would only listen to the words Lily said. She was afraid that any word she might say in response would convey the hurt and pessimism she felt when it came to thinking of her feelings about Theo.

_Don't wish, don't start  
Wishing only wounds the heart  
I wasn't born for the rose and the pearl  
There's a girl I know  
He loves her so  
I'm not that girl._

Fran shrugged her shoulder, tilting her head wiping the tears that had started to fall down her cheek on the shoulder of her shirt. This action was pretty pointless though since whatever tears she'd manage to wipe away were quickly replaced by brand new ones.

"All right, all right, I'm getting to work!" She heard Casey call up the stairs to RJ as he jogged down the steps with a soft chuckle. His jovial expression vanished when he reached the bottom of the stairs and saw Fran. "Fran?" He asked, his tone filled with concern.

"Oh, hi Casey!' Fran said, her voice overly perky in hopes that it'd hide the fact that she was crying. She could see the worried look he was giving her and gave a short laugh to further her denial. "Oh this? Yeah, stupid allergies, huh?" She said, taking a hand out of the sink and squeezing it under her glasses to wipe away her tears. She quickly came to regret this as she had forgotten her fingers had soap on them and now had soap in her eye. "Ow! Shoot," she exclaimed, removing her glasses as she recoiled from the sink as she rubbed her eye.

"Hang on," she heard Casey say as he quickly went over to her. "Don't rub, you'll just make it worse," he said gently as he took her hand in his and gently pulled it away from her face. Fran squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to alleviate the stinging as she heard Casey tear off a piece of paper towel from the nearby roll and tip it into the running water. She felt him take her chin in one hand. "I need you to open your eye," he said.

"I can't," Fran said. 

"Sure you can," she heard Casey respond with a smile. Fran sigh and slowly opened her eyes. She watched as Casey looked into her eyes carefully as he used the wet paper towel to gently wipe at the soap in her eye. He meticulously cleansed the area, careful not to cause any further discomfort. Once he was done, he stepped back and looked down at her. "Better?" He asked. Fran nodded as she slipped her glasses back on.

"Thanks," she said softly before turning away from him and returning to her work at the sink, hoping he'd forgotten about the state he'd found her in. Casey set the paper towel down on the counter before leaning against the sink, tilting his head in hopes that it'd get her to look at him. 

"Are you okay?" He asked. 

"Mmhmm," she said with a quick nod, trying to concentrate on the cup she was now washing. 

"Fran," Casey said his tone insistent. "Come on, I know those weren't allergy tears in your eyes," he said, giving her a soft smile. Fran closed her eyes. "You can tell me, we're friends" Casey whispered encouragingly. Fran took a deep breath as she felt the lump in her throat reemerge and her chin quivered slightly. "Fran," she heard Casey say worriedly as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Fran let out a choked sob, which opened up the floodgates as more tears and sobs followed. The sound of her obvious despair spurned Casey into action as he quickly stood up and spun her toward him, pulling her into a comforting hug as one hand cradled her head to his chest and the other held her around her waist. Fran brought her hands up to either side of her face, wiping at her cheeks as she sobbed into Casey's shirt. "Shh," Casey whispered as he rubbed her back. "It's okay, it's okay," he said. Casey looked up to see RJ come down the stairs and freeze, surprised at the sight. He gave Casey a questioning and worried look at the sight and sound of Fran's state. Casey shook his head, telling him he didn't know but he was handling it himself. RJ gave the red ranger a brief nod before carefully walking out of the kitchen to the front of the restaurant to care for any customers that were out front. Fran had remained oblivious to all this as she continued crying. Casey gave her a soft squeeze. "It's okay," he told her softly. The two stood there for a while until Fran's sobs and tears subsided. Once she and let out all the tears she needed to let out, she slowly pulled away somewhat embarrassed.

"Sorry," she said meekly. Casey gave her a soft smile before reaching up and wiping away some stray tears on her cheeks.

"No need to apologize," he told her. Fran smiled and stepped away, removing her glasses to wipe away the fog and smudges her tears had created. "Are you okay?" He asked. Fran gave a slow nod.

"Yeah," she said. "Just needed……to be emotional I guess," she said. She raised her eyes up to him. "You won't tell the others, will you?" She asked. 

"Don't worry," he said, understanding right away what she meant. "Theo won't know," he said. Fran gave him a surprised look.

"How did you….?" She asked. "Do…….do the others know?" She asked. Casey shook his head.

"No," he said. He put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry," he said softly, feeling bad for his hurt friend. Fran shook her head, giving a sad shrug.

"It doesn't matter," she said softly. "Lily's the girl he chose, no amount of me crying or you feeling sorry for me is going to change that," she whispered. The bitterness in her tone and her sad eyes made Casey's heart ache. Fran heaved a heavy sigh and wiped at her cheeks before putting on a smile. "We should probably get back to work, huh?" She said. 

"Fran, if you need some-" Casey began, but was stopped by Fran putting up a hand to silence him.

"I'm fine," she said. "I just want to get back to work and…..not think about it," she said. Casey nodded.

"Okay," he said. He looked at the sink beside her. "Why don't you go up front? I'll finish up here," he offered. Fran gave him a genuine smile.

"Thanks," she said as she dried her hands on a dish towel. She walked past him, grabbing an ordering pad and stuffing it into the pocket of her apron as she made her way to the swinging door to the front of the restaurant as Casey began to work on the dishes. 

"Fran," he called to her before she left, causing her to stop and turn to him. "I'm here…whenever you need to me emotional again." Fran smiled, nodding softly.

"Thanks Casey, I'll remember that," she said before disappearing to the front. Casey sighed and went about washing dishes.

"God, Theo," he sighed to himself as he scrubbed the cup Fran had abandoned in her emotional breakdown. "For a smart guy, you really are an idiot."

-End-


End file.
